Mold for congealable foodstuffs and the like



Get. 13, 1970 H. R. BECK ETAL 3,533,593

MOLD FOR CONGEALABLE FOODSTUFFS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 10, 1967 2Sheets-Sheet l HAROLD R. BECK JAMES B. SWETT BY m R M A ATTORNEYINVENTORS.

Oct. 13, 1970 H. R. BECK ETAL 3,533,593

MOLD FOR CONG EALABLE FOODSTUFFS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 10, 1967 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQRS. HAROLD R. BECK JAMES B. SWETT m R. Win

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,533,593- MOLD FOR CONGEALABLE FOODSTUFFSAND THE LIKE Harold R. Beck, Woodland Hills, Calif., and James B. Swett,Barrington, R.I., assignors to Dart Industries Inc., Los Angeles,Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 659,735Int. Cl. B41b 11/62 U.S. Cl. 249-104 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREAn individual serving sized plastic salad mold particularly well adaptedfor use with gelatin and having a reversible decorative impressionforming closure.

This invention relates generally to molds for gelatinous or congealablematerials that are poured into mold in liquid or semi-liquid form andsolidified therein to form a shape retaining molded product. Morespecifically, the invention relates to a mold that is particularlyuseful in the formation and storing of food products such as gelatindesserts. The invention also relates to closuring and attachment meansuseful with such molds.

It is an object of this invention to provide a mold of the foregoingtype that will be adapted to form products of various ornamentalconfigurations utilizing as few components as possible.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mold and closuretherefor, wherein the closure can be simply reversed to adapt the moldto form a product having a different design than that formed when themold is in a normal position.

A further object of this invention, in a specific embodiment thereof, isthe provision of an individual serving-sized food mold.

A still further object is the provision of a non-screw type reversibleclosuring and attachment member for use with a mold and other hollowbodied articles.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following descriptionof the invention and the accompanying drawings showing a specificembodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing an assembled mold according tothe invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the upper closure of the mold shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the lower closure of the mold of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the mold of FIG. 1, withthe broken away portion thereof shown in cross-section for convenienceof illustration;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in cross section of the upper closure andcentral mold portion shown in FIG. 4, showing details of construction ofthe central mold and upper closure interface with the closure in areversed position from that shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing details of construction ofthe central mold and lower closure interface; and,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectioned view of the central mold and lowerclosure interface showing details of construction thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, the mold shown generally at 10 comprisesa reversible closuring member 11, central mold portion 12 and large endclosure 13. Both of the closures 11 and 13 are outwardly removable fromthe central mold portion 12. As best seen in FIG. 4, the central mold isformed as a hollow body having generally uniform wall thickness.

3,533,593 Patented Oct. 13, 1970 ice Closures 11 and 13 are ofsufficient diameter to permit shelving or storing of the mold 10 witheither closure serving as the base. In the embodiment shown, the ratioof diameters of the large end closure to the upper reversible closuringmember are such that tipping cannot easily occur and the mold can bestored in non-rockable position on the reversible small end closure 11without danger of being knocked over by an inadvertent action such asmight occur if several of the molds were placed in storage together.

Reversible closure member 11 is formed with an imperforate central wallportion 14. A peripheral sleeve forming band 15 is formed integrallywith the wall portion 14. The band comprises side wall portions 16extending both outwardly and inwardly from the central wall portion. Acontinuous peripheral undercut portion 17 is located adjacent the wallportion 14 on the inside of band 15. Extending outwardly of the undercutportion 17 on both sides of wall 14 is a continuous inwardly projectingportion 18, terminating in curved lead-in radius 19.

In the embodiment shown, central wall portion 14 is formed integrallywith protruding contour 20 and indented contour 21. These contours areprovided for the purpose of adapting the mold to form a different designon the molded product when a closure is reversed than the design thatwould be formed when the closure is installed in a normal position. Asbest seen in FIG. 5, protruding contour 20 and indented contour 21 aresimply the corresponding complementary configuration of each other, suchcontours being formed by a single wall of uniform thickness.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contours 22 of the reversibleclosuring member 11 are of polyangular configuration. The particularpolyangular configuration shown not only provides an aestheticallypleasing design to the final molded product; but additionally, due tothe absence of sharp angles, the configuration shown permits easyremoval of the closure without marring the upper surface of the moldedproduct. As will be evident from the several figures of the drawings,all the angles in the polyangular configuration are generally obtuse.

Reversible closuring member 11 has separate utility apart from a moldclosure in that it can serve as a coupling or attachment member for twohollow-bodied or tubular members.

Central mold portion 12 of hollow body formation is smoothly contouredfrom large end opening 23 to small end opening 24. The small end openingterminates in a peripheral edge portion, shown generally at 25, that isadapted to receive reversible closuring member 11 in liquid tightsealing relationship. In the embodiment shown, the peripheral edgeportion 25 terminates in out wardly flared, upwardly extending flange26. The flange has a continuous flat surfaced circumferential edge 27 atthe upper periphery thereof.

The inner diameter of projecting portion 18 of the reversible closuringmember 11 is smaller than the outside diameter of outwardly flaredupstanding flange 26 Thus, a snap-fit between the reversible closuremember 11 and the mold 12 is obtainable. The liquid tight interfacebetween the reversible closure member and central mold portion is bestseen in FIG. 5. As shown, outwardly flared upwardly extending flange 26leans outwardly at an angle of about 9. With the angular relationshipshown, tight fit between closure 11 and flange 26 are obtained, while atthe same time undercutting of the molded product by the bottom portion28 of the flange will not hinder removal of the product from the mold.

The large end opening 23 of central wall portion 12 terminates in anoutwardly flared flange. Large end closure 13 is formed of a centralimperforate wall portion 30, terminating in a U-shaped portion formedwith an inside wall 31, connecting wall 32 and outside wall 33. TheU-shaped portion is adapted to fit over the peripheral flange 29 inliquid and moisture sealing relationship, as can best be seen in FIG. 7.

Reversible closure member 11 can be formed of a relatively flexiblematerial such as low density polyethylene, and the mold portion can beformed of a stiffer yet flexible material such as a high density linearpolyethylene, or polypropylene.

In the embodiment shown, peripheral sleeve forming band of the upperreversible closuring member 11, in addition to forming closuring memberson each side of imperforate wall 14, stiffens the closure and therebyaids the attainment of a firm, liquid tight seal between the closure andthe central mold portion.

Ceneral mold portion 12 is formed with externally protruding flutes 34,designed to form decorative patterns on a molded product, as well as topermit easy release thereof from the mold member.

In operation, the mold as described and shown in the drawings performsin the following manner: Reversible closuring member 11 is installed oncentral mold portion 12, and the thus assembled closure and mold areinverted to rest upon the small end closure. A liquid of the type thatsolidifies in the mold to form a shape-retaining solid mold is poured inthe mold to the desired level, and then large end closure 13 isinstalled to prevent moisture ingress or egress, as well as spillagewhen the assembled mold is moved. When the molded product is finallysolidified, large end closure 13 is removed and central mold portionwith the still assembled reversible closuring member 11 is inverted.Closure 11 is then removed to equalize air pressure on the mold contentswhich can then be easily removed.

Although a variety of substances can be formed in the mold, it has beenfound to be particularly advantageous for gelatin type desserts, in thatsuch materials adhere tightly to the side walls of the container inwhich they are formed. The pressure equalization feature describedrenders the novel mold particularly useful from the standpoint of easeof removal of such products.

Reasonable modification and variation of the foregoing describedinvention are possible without departing from the scope thereof asdefined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A mold for foodstuffs and the like comprising a central mold portionhaving walls terminating at an opening thereof in a peripheral edgeportion and a reversible clor sure member for said mold, including animperforate central wall, a peripheral sleeve forming band having sidewall portions thereof extending both upwardly and downwardly from saidcentral wall whereby a first closure is formed on one side of saidcentral wall and a second closure is formed on the other side thereof,said side walls being adapted to form a liquid tight seal when installedin sleeve arrangement on said peripheral edge portion.

2. A mold for foodstuffs and the like as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid closure is formed from a plastic material.

3. A mold for foodstuffs and the like as defined in claim 2, whereinsaid central wall has different contours on either side thereof wherebya design different from that formed on the molded product when theclosure is installed in a normal position will be formed thereon whenthe closure is installed in a reverse position.

4. A mold foodstuffs and the like as defined in claim 3, wherein saiddifferent contours are formed on a single wall potrion of uniformthickness protruding above the normal plane of the wall on one sidethereof with a corresponding indentation on the other side thereof.

5. A mold for foodstuffs and the like as defined in claim 3, whereinsaid central mold portion has walls terminating at an opening therein inan upstanding outwardly flared peripheral flange and in which the sidewall portions of said closure are formed with undercut portions andinwardly projecting portion having an inside diameter less than theoutside diameter of said outwardly flared flange, whereby the reversiblemember can be snap-fit on said peripheral flange in liquid sealingrelationship.

6. A mold for foodstuffs and the like comprising a central mold portionhaving walls terminating at one end thereof in a smaller opening and atthe other end thereof in a larger opening, said smaller and largeropenings terminating in a peripheral edge portion adapted to receive aclosure in tight sealing relationship, a reversible closure member forsaid smaller opening comprising an imperforate central wall connected toa peripheral sleeve forming band having side wall portions thereofextending both upwardly and downwardly from said central wall, wherebyclosures are formed on both sides of said central wall, said side wallsadapted to form a liquid tight seal when installed in sleeve arrangementon said peripheral edge portion, and a closure for said larger endadapted to form a liquid tight seal therewith.

7. A mold for foodstffs and the like, comprising a central mold portionhaving walls terminating at an opening therein in a peripheral edgeportion and a reversible closuring member having a design thereonlocated to form a decorative design on the foodstuffs in said mold whenthe closure is either in normal or reversed position and positioned inliquid-tight relationship with said central mold portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 206,016 10/ 1966 Brown.

2,235,964 3/1941 Meyer et al. 249104 X 2,980,039 4/1961 Jolly 249134 X3,128,900 4/1964 Chaboche 22027 X FOREIGN PATENTS 655,778 1/ 1963Canada.

J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner M. O. SUTTON, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R. 220-60

